Independents

Big 12 Championship Game Site Not Permanent - Yet

<p>As a Kansas City Area resident, and someone who works two miles away from the Sprint Center and the Big 12 basketball tournament, the excitement in town is picking up this week. Sports talk radio has been all over basketball, and this city contains fans of three great basketball teams all in one place. Coupled with <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/08/1799068/big-12-to-announce-future-tourney.html">Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe's comments this week</a> that the Big 12 will not be choosing permanent Championship sites for football and basketball in June, and it got me thinking about the Championship Games status. The June spring meeting (in Kansas City), will determine sites for basketball, football, and baseball starting in the 2011-2012 seasons, and they may decide on sites anywhere from the three to five years after that.</p> <p>I like the idea of having a rotation of sites in basketball, where it's been in Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City. As for football, I can live with a Dallas/Kansas City rotation, but the Big 12 Championship game has also been played in Houston, San Antonio, and St. Louis. What I can't live with is a permanent home for these events.</p>
<p>The contingent of fans at the Big 12 Championship game in football this year in Dallas was acceptable to me, as the well-traveled Husker fans showed up like they always do to away events. But there is something to be said for having a game closer to home, like within driving distance, instead of having to take a flight. I'm sure basketball fans are thinking that right now, as most of the Big 12 North schools are taking the opportunity to come check out their teams and make it feel like a home game this week in downtown Kansas City. And I feel like Kansas City will continue to be in the mix for football, since Arrowhead Stadium has just undergone $475 million in expansion and upgrades.</p>
<p>Fans of all Big 12 North teams should be rooting for a Championship site in the North states in order to maintain the balance that seems to be shifting towards south schools in football. Basketball this year has fortunately had a strong showing in the North, but a rotation will ensure that there is parity in that sport too.</p>
<p>But there's only one sure way to get the attention of big organizations as a collective: vote with your wallet. The fact is, we have no say in what happens in that spring meeting without doing something to garner the attention of the Big 12 Conference. Unless people stop supporting the Big 12 corporate sponsors: <a href="http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&amp;DB_OEM_ID=10410&amp;ATCLID=1514850">Chick-fil-A, Dr. Pepper, Gatorade, Geico, Motel 6, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Phillip 66, Sunkist, and Sirius/XM</a>, no way their voice gets heard. And you can't just stop buying these products without telling anyone why, so if you plan to do something like this, you need to <a href="http://www.big12sports.com/CreateTicket.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410">contact the Big 12 and let them know what you're doing and why</a>.</p>
<p>I'm not sure if I'm to the point of boycotting brands yet. But as of right now, the fate of future Championship sites is not determined, and control rests solely behind closed doors.</p><div class="feedflare">
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As a Kansas City Area resident, and someone who works two miles away from the Sprint Center and the Big 12 basketball tournament, the excitement in town is picking up this week. Sports talk radio has been all over basketball, and this city contains fans of three great basketball teams all in one place. Coupled with Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe's comments this week that the Big 12 will not be choosing permanent Championship sites for football and basketball in June, and it got me thinking about the Championship Games status. The June spring meeting (in Kansas City), will determine sites for basketball, football, and baseball starting in the 2011-2012 seasons, and they may decide on sites anywhere from the three to five years after that.

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